Training Programs

The UM-JMH Center for Patient Safety offers a wide range of innovative simulation-based courses designed to enhance clinical, communication, and teamwork skills for health care professionals at all levels of training. This unique facility enables diverse scenarios ranging from learning to deliver bad news to challenging delivery room situations to the aftermath of a non-conventional weapons attack. 

The Simulation Center is also valu­able to companies introducing new medical products.  On the one hand, manufacturers can test usability and ergonomics of their devices in a simulated environment thus reducing the length and cost of their clinical trials. On the other hand, by using the simulator, clini­cians can learn how to use new drugs and equipment safely before trying them on actual patients. 

Current offerings include:

Orientation for Anesthesiology Residents:
New residents in the UM Department of Anesthesiology receive training on the simulator before entering the OR. During their starting month, residents participate in four simulator sessions which emphasize the technique of induction, emergence issues, and management of hypoxemia and intraoperative hemodynamic changes. 

Director: Daniel Castillo, MD
Instructors: Karim Abouelenin, MD, Christina Matadial, MD

Anesthesia Critical Event Management:
Anesthesiology residents learn the principles and skills necessary for effective critical event management. Simulated critical incidents give residents hands-on experience with complex, infrequently occurring scenarios that they would otherwise only read about. Participants experience crisis events in the context of realistic operative procedures or perioperative care. Video recordings of the events are reviewed with the instructors and all of the course participants during debriefing sessions. Feedback is provided in a supportive and constructive manner with the intention of motivating improved performance. 

Director: Daniel Castillo, MD
Instructors: Karim Abouelenin, MD, Ricardo Martinez-Ruiz, MD, Christina Matadial, MD 

Critical Event Management in Obstetric Anesthesia:
Anesthesiology residents learn the principles and refine skills necessary for effective critical event management. Simulated critical incidents give residents hands-on experience with complex, infrequently occurring scenarios that they would otherwise only read about. Participants experience crisis events in the context of peripartum care. Video recordings of the events are reviewed with the instructors and all of the course participants during debriefing sessions. Feedback is provided in a supportive and constructive manner with the intention of motivating improved performance. 

Director: David Birnbach, MD

Anesthesia Rotation for Medical Students:
Students become familiar with basic principles of perioperative patient management. These skills include airway evaluation and management, difficult airway management, routine induction of general anesthesia, emergence from general anesthesia, hemodynamic monitoring, and basic principles and dosing of anesthetic drugs. The workshop also provides hands on use of typical anesthesia equipment and monitoring. A follow-up session focuses on cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, ACLS algorithms, and crisis resource management. 

Course Director: Edgar Pierre, MD
Instructors: Julie Oppenheimer, MD 

Emergency Medicine Rotation for Medical Students and Interns:
Students and first-year residents diagnose and treat simulator patients suffering from conditions commonly seen in the Emergency Room. Video recordings of the events are reviewed with the instructor and all of the course participants during debriefing sessions. Feedback is provided in a supportive and constructive manner with the intention of motivating improved performance. 

Course Director: Larry Zaret, MD
Instructor: Marc Grossman, MD, Yoram Gutfreund, MD, Andrew Ta, MD 

Medical Critical Event Management:
Internal Medicine residents and nursing interns learn the principles and skills necessary for effective critical event management. Simulated cardio-respiratory arrests give residents and nurses hands-on experience with managing resuscitation of critically ill patients. While clinical management and adherence to ACLS guidelines is covered in the sessions, their focus is on the teamwork and resource management. Video recordings of the events are reviewed with the instructors and all of the course participants during debriefing sessions. Feedback is provided in a supportive and constructive manner with the intention of motivating improved performance. 

Director: Joshua Lenchus, DO, RPh
Instructors: Cheryl Furr, RN, Judi Woolger, MD

Obstetric Critical Event Management:
Residents in Obstetrics & Gynecology learn the principles and skills necessary for effective critical event management. Simulated Labor & Delivery emergencies give residents hands-on experience in managing complex parturient patients. The focus of the sessions is on the teamwork and resource management. Video recordings of the events are reviewed with the instructors and all of the course participants during debriefing sessions. Feedback is provided in a supportive and constructive manner with the intention of motivating improved performance. 

Director: Victor Gonzalez-Quintero, MD, MPH
Instructor: David Birnbach, MD 

Pediatric Critical Event Management:
Pediatrics residents and ER nurses learn the principles and skills necessary for effective critical event management. Simulated cardio-respiratory arrests give residents and nurses hands-on experience with managing resuscitation of critically ill patients. While clinical management and adherence to PALS guidelines is covered in the sessions, their focus is on the teamwork and resource management. Video recordings of the events are reviewed with the instructors and all of the course participants during debriefing sessions. Feedback is provided in a supportive and constructive manner with the intention of motivating improved performance. 

Director: Valerie Thompson, MD
Instructors: Maureen Fitzpatrick, ARNP, Laura Guerrier, RN

Hemodynamic Monitoring in Critical Care Nursing:
Interns in Critical Care Nursing learn the principles and skills necessary for invasive measurements of blood pressure and cardiac output using a Swan-Ganz catheter. Case-based simulation gives the nurse interns hands-on experience in applying quantitative assessment techniques in realistic clinical setting. 

Director: Carmen Costa, RN

Respiratory Management for Critical Care Nurses:
Interns in Critical Care Nursing learn the basics of mechanical ventilation. Case-based simulation gives the nurse interns hands-on experience in caring for critically ill patients on ventilator support. 

Director: Mary McKay, ARNP
Instructors: Carmen Costa, RN, Cheryl Furr, RN 

Custom-design educational programs are available for high-school and college students, journalists, attorneys, and other groups.